Spring 2022 Graduates
Congratulations to the seniors graduating this spring from the University Honors Program. We are proud of your accomplishments and wish you the best in your next adventure.
View who's who by college:
Agriculture & Life Sciences | Ivy College of Business | Design
College of Agriculture & Life Sciences
Claudia Adamson
Williamsburg, IA
Animal Ecology, Biology (AGLS)
Honors Project: Determining the Dominance Hierarchy of Male Olive Baboons (Papio anubis) Based Upon their Interactions
Moment of pride: Leadership roles with Alpha Zeta and Be the Match on Campus
Post-grad plans: Obtain a Master's in Environmental Education at Southern Oregon University
Nick Battles
Indianola, IA
Global Resource Systems, Agriculture and Society
Minor in learning and leadership sciences
Participation & Awards: Mentor Program Participant
Honors Project: Learning, Leading, and Listening: Multidimensional Reflection with Purpose
Moment of pride: Completing a rigorous and dynamic semester abroad at Wageningen University & Research (WUR) in the Netherlands.
Post-grad plans: Job or Internship
Megan Bixby
Chillicothe, IL
Animal Science
Minor in Spanish
Honors Project: Swine Science Merit Badge
Moment of pride: Finishing my capstone project. It was a very long project, but I learned a lot.
Post-grad plans: University of Wisconsin Madison School of Veterinary Medicine
Ashley Brent
Florissant, MO
Environmental Science (AGLS), Community & Regional Planning
Honors Project: "Transparency.org" a Function of Democracy
Moment of pride: Being the lead student advisor for the George Washington Carver Scholarship Program
Beckie Burns
Bernville, PA
Animal Science
Participation & Awards: Mentor Program Participant, Melampy Grant Recipient
Honors Project: Determining the Energy Substrate Preference and Its Impact on Growth and Functions of Calf Intestinal Epithelial Cells
Moment of pride: Involvement in the Dairy Science Club and time on the Dairy Challenge Team
Post-grad plans: Job with Purina as a Livestock Production Specialist in Lancaster, PA
Maggie Crane
Cary, IL
Animal Ecology
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader, Mentor Program Participant, Honors Ambassador
Honors Project: A Book on Imprinting and Wildlife Protection
Moment of pride: Achieving a top 2% academic ranking in the College of Ag and Life Sciences for two years in a row.
Post-grad plans: Attending vet school so I can become a doctor for marine and exotic animals
Jensina Davis
Brookings, SD
Agronomy, Seed Science
Minor in Statistics
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader
Honors Project: Artificial Seed Drying Conditions and Maize Seed Viability and Vigor after Storage
Moment of pride: NSF Graduate Fellowship Program winner
Post-grad plans: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Complex Biosystems Ph.D. program
Michaela Erickson
Amery, WI
Genetics (AGLS)
Minor in Agronomy
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader
Honors Project: An Examination of Trait Inheritance and Allele Segregation in B73/Mo17 Maize Progeny
Moment of pride: Serving as an FHP leader
Post-grad plans: Attending University of Wisconsin-Madison to pursue a master's degree in plant breeding and plant genetics
Dawson Fischer
Palmer, IA
Agricultural Business, Economics (LAS)
Minor in Agronomy
Honors Project: The Evolving Relationship Among Corn, Oil, and Ethanol Prices
Moment of pride: Completing my honors capstone project
Post-grad plans: Commodity merchandiser for Louis Dreyfus Company
Mikaela Gaskill
Spirit Lake, IA
Environmental Science (AGLS), Biology (AGLS)
Honors Project: Effects of Global Warming on Black-Tailed Prairie Dog Distribution
Moment of pride:
Post-grad plans: Attend graduate school
Jordan Guezimane
Fairfield, IA
Animal Ecology
Participation & Awards: Mentor Program Participant
Honors Project: Red Fox Project
Moment of pride: My leadership role in conducting research with Dr. Jean-Sebastien Palerme, and being able to get access to ISU's College of Veterinary Medicine medical records
Post-grad plans: Veterinary School
Julianna Hernandez
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Animal Ecology
Minor in Microbiology
Participation & Awards: Mentor Program Participant, Stewart & UHP Grant Recipient
Honors Project: How Does Octopamine Affect Aggression of Polistes metricus Interactions?
Moment of pride: Serving as president of Pre-Veterinary Club at ISU
Post-grad plans: Attending Veterinary Medicine School in Fall 2023
Marit Hovey
Norwalk, IA
Global Resource Systems, Environmental Studies
Minor in French, Women and Gender Studies, and Sociology
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader, Mentor Program Participant
Honors Project: Promoting Agriculture Extension Among Ghanaian Farmers
Moment of pride: Serving as President of IAAS (International Association of Students in Agricultural and Related Sciences )
Post-grad plans: Participating in 6-month IFYE exchange program in Morocco
Grace Jakes
Indianola, IA
Animal Science, Global Resource Systems
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader, Mentor Program Participant, Honors Peer Adviser
Honors Project: Effects of CLOSTAT on Immune System, Leaky Gut, and Production Parameters in Transition Dairy Cows
Moment of pride: Being a peer mentor and FHP leader and learning how to drive a tractor
Post-grad plans: Colorado State University DVM/PhD Program
Audrey Jenkins
Portland, OR
Agronomy
Minor in Insect Science
Participation & Awards: Mentor Program Participant, Mentor Grant Recipient
Honors Project: The Intersection of Art and Agronomy - Creating New Diagrams for Agronomy 181: Introduction to Crop Science
Moment of pride: Serving as the President of IAAS (International Agriculture Club) for a year
Post-grad plans: Internship with Grain Millers, followed by a job search and possibly grad school
Allee Koestner
California, MO
Agronomy
Minor in Horticulture
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader, Honors Ambassador
Honors Project: Tillage Effects on Soil Fungi and Bacteria - It Depends!
Moment of pride: Leading a section of Hon 121 sophomore year
Post-grad plans: Field Specialist with Advanced Agrilytics
Kaitlyn Lathrop
Muscatine, IA
Animal Science, Animal Ecology
Participation & Awards: Mentor Program Participant, Mentor Grant Recipient
Honors Project: Leopard Gecko Enrichment
Moment of pride: Being involved in the First Year Honors Mentor Program
Post-grad plans: Working in a veterinary clinic
Paiton McDonald
Fletcher, NC
Biochemistry (AGLS), International Agriculture
Minor in Microbiology and pharmacology-toxicology
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader, Mentor Program Participant, Honors UA, Student Enrichment Grant Recipient, Outstanding FHP Scholarship
Honors Project: Effects of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Fermentation Product Supplementation on the Acute-Phase Response during Bovine Respiratory Disease in Neonatal Calves
Moment of pride: First-author publication
Post-grad plans: PhD program at Michigan State University
Brad Melvin
LeClaire, IA
Microbiology, Genetics (AGLS)
Participation & Awards: Mentor Program Participant, Mentor Grant Recipient
Honors Project: Neuroprotective Parkinson’s Disease Drug Maximum Tolerated Dose Study
Moment of pride: Participation in Cardinal Key Honors Society
Post-grad plans: Job or Internship in a medical setting, followed by medical school
Cole Mitsdarfer
Geneva, IL
Animal Ecology
Minor in Anthropology
Participation & Awards: Mentor Program Participant
Honors Project: Impact of Dominance Status on the Grooming Behavior and Spatial Positioning of Captive Male Japanese Macaques (Macaca fuscata)
Moment of pride: Participated in research all four years at ISU
Post-grad plans: Position with the Uaso Ngiro Baboon Project
Chase Olsen
North Sioux City, SD
Animal Ecology
Minor in English
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader
Honors Project: Educational Program on Jellyfish
Moment of pride:
Post-grad plans:
Jodie Parolini
Turlock, CA
Agronomy, Horticulture
Honors Project: A Garden for Grandma
Moment of pride: Growing closer to God throughout college
Post-grad plans: Position with Oklahoma State University Agriculture Extension Outreach
Matthew Pfab
Bernard, IA
Biology (AGLS)
Minor in Insect Science
Honors Project: Measuring the Frequency of Mutations Associated with Pyrethroid Resistance in Aphis glycines
Moment of pride: Taking graduate courses to explore my interests and teaching labs as a TA and having a “fire” comedy college set
Post-grad plans: Attending Iowa State Graduate School for entomology
Marcus Prull
Maquoketa, IA
Animal Ecology
Participation & Awards: Mentor Program Participant, Mentor Grant Recipient
Honors Project: Precision and Bias of Three Bigmouth Buffalo Ictiobus cyprinellus Aging Structures
Moment of pride: My capstone project as well as being the officer of two different clubs
Post-grad plans: Graduate school
Grace Reineke
Dunlap, IA
Horticulture
Minor in Animal Science
Participation & Awards: Mentor Program Participant, Mentor Grant Recipient
Honors Project: Controlling Growth of Containerized Salvia buchananii with PGR’s
Moment of pride: Serving as a CALS Student Council Representative
Post-grad plans: Internship at a cut flower farm
Emily Saeugling
Atlantic, IA
Animal Science
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader, Mentor Program Participant
Honors Project: The Impact of COVID-19 on Iowa's Beef Industry
Moment of pride: Being selected for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) Student Council Senior Leadership Excellence Award
Post-grad plans: Land O'Lakes Supply Chain & Operations Talent Acceleration Program
Alene Scallon
Cedar Rapids IA
Animal Science
Honors Project: Invetro Characterization of Human Enteric Coronavirus Infection in Cell Culture
Moment of pride: Acceptance into the Dean's Global Agriculture and Food Leadership Program
Post-grad plans: College of Veterinary Medicine at Iowa State University with concurrent Master’s in Veterinary Microbiology
Caleb Skow
Ankeny, IA
Biology (AGLS)
Participation & Awards: Mentor Program Participant, Mentor, & UHP Grant Recipient
Honors Project: Antifungal Properties of Biochar as a Soybean Substrate
Moment of pride:
Post-grad plans:
Jamie Skow
Grimes, IA
Environmental Science (AGLS), Psychology
Participation & Awards: Mentor Program Participant
Honors Project: How Introverts and Extroverts Differ in Confidence and Comfortability When Wearing Masks
Moment of pride: Achieving a degree with Honors in two years
Post-grad plans: Pursuing a Master’s Degree in Microbiology
Kasey Sullivan
Medina, MN
Microbiology
Minor in Philosophy
Participation & Awards: Mentor Program Participant, Honors Peer Adviser
Honors Project: Developing Recommendations for Studying Erwinia tracheiphila Vector-Pathogen Interactions by Studying Similar and Non-similar Vector-Pathogen Interactions.
Moment of pride: Presenting research through Science with Practice Program
Post-grad plans: University of Minnesota Law School
Talia Sylvester
Rogers, MM
Biology (AGLS)
Minor in Psychology
Honors Project: Development of a Brain-on-a-Chip Platform for Studying Neural Development
Moment of pride: Becoming co-president of an ISU campus club!
Post-grad plans: PA School
Lauren Tidgren
Carroll, IA
Animal Science
Minor in Biology
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader, Mentor Program Participant
Honors Project: An Analysis of Relevant Swine Laws Today
Moment of pride: My time as a Cyclone Aide
Post-grad plans: ISU Veterinary School
Karen Vandervort
Middleville, MI
Food Science (AGLS)
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader, Mentor Program Participant, Honors Ambassador
Honors Project: Home in the Midwest
Moment of pride:
Post-grad plans: Pursuing a Master’s Degree at Franciscan University of Steubenville
Abby Wahlig
West Des Moines, IA
Animal Science
Minor in Nutrition
Participation & Awards: Mentor Program Participant
Honors Project: Companion Animal Training and Enrichment Education Through Social Media
Moment of pride: Summer internship with Minnesota Guide Dog Breeding Center
Post-grad plans: Kennel technician in West Des Moines, IA
Joy Westercamp
Farmington, IA
Biology (AGLS)
Minor in Economics and Insect Science
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader, Mentor Program Participant, Honors Ambassador
Honors Project: Insect-Decide
Moment of pride: Leading to M1 Section of Hon 121
Post-grad plans: Applying for a Master’s of Public Health in epidemiology
Ivy College of Business
Sanjana Addagarla
Cedar Rapids, IA
Management Information Systems
Minor in Data Science
Honors Project: Immigration Trafficking in Common Business Practices
Moment of pride: The poster presentation, partipating in seminars and serving as the Business Senator for Student Government
Post-grad plans: Associate Consultant in the Business Analyst Department for RSM LLP
Ken Galbraith
Rochester, MN
Accounting, Finance
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader, Mentor Program Participant
Honors Project: Cybersecurity in the Online Gambling Industry
Moment of pride: Winning the curling intramurals
Post-grad plans: Taking my CPA exams
Claire Grebner
Epworth, IA
Marketing, Supply Chain Management
Participation & Awards: Mentor Program Participant
Honors Project: Development of a Cross-Industry Sustainability Index
Moment of pride: Becoming president of ISU's Habitat for Humanity Student Chapter
Post-grad plans: Consulting Analyst at Accenture
Makayla Hendry
Lemont, IL
Accounting, Business Analytics
Minor in Finance
Honors Project: Impact of Announcements on Stock Prices
Moment of pride: Completion of my honors project on stock buybacks
Post-grad plans: Audit Associate at BDO USA
Sarah Hughes
Woodbury, MN
Management, Marketing
Participation & Awards: Mentor Program Participant
Honors Project: Identifying Stages and Processes within the Migrant Consumer Journey
Moment of pride: Spirit and Dedication Award celebrating leadership in the Cyclone Marching Band, in which I held leadership positions for 3 years
Post-grad plans: Marketing Associate at Ecolab in St. Paul
Dane Rasmussen
Earlham, IA
Finance, Accounting
Honors Project: The Importance and Under Utilization of Renters’ Insurance
Moment of pride: Contracted an accounting class as an honors course and created a case study that may be published in an academic journal
Post-grad plans: Iowa State University master's in accounting program
Devin Scott
Blue Grass, Iowa
Finance, Management Information Systems
Honors Project: Accounting for Seasonality in Intraday Volume for Forex Volatility Measures
Mary Sullivan
Tampa, FL
Supply Chain Management
Minor in Management
Participation & Awards: Mentor Program Participant, Honors Peer Adviser
Honors Project: The Role of the Trucking Industry in Human Trafficking
Moment of pride: Supply Chain Innovation Forum Scholar
Post-grad plans: Job or Internship Subcontract Administrator Associate at Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth, TX
College of Design
Gracie Carlson
Eagan, MN
Graphic Design
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader, Mentor Program Participant, Honors Ambassador
Honors Project: Camping Cook Book
Moment of pride: Being an FHP leader!
Post-grad plans: Graphic Designer for Hy-Vee
Andersen Coates
Marion, IA
Architecture Professional Degree
Minor in Music and Political Science
Participation & Awards: Mentor Program Participant
Honors Project: Feline Architecture
Moment of pride: Graduating Summa Cum Laude
Post-grad plans: Position in architectural design with Shive-Hattery in Des Moines
Drew Daly
Peosta, IA
Industrial Design
Minor in Apparel, Merchandising and Design
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader, Mentor Program Participant, Honors UA, Honors Peer Adviser, Outstanding FHP Scholarship, W Robert Parks Award Recipient
Honors Project: Creative Nonfiction: A Personal Essay Sequence
Moment of pride: Receiving the W. Robert Parks Student Award and getting to spend COVID Season 1 & 2 with Paiton and Ben for FHP Shenanigans
Post-grad plans: Move to Kansas City
Bryan Dellett
Geneseo, IL
Architecture Professional Degree
Minor in Design Studies
Honors Project: The Benefit of Keeping a Dedicated Sketchbook
Moment of pride: Getting a position as a research assistant at the Computation + Construction Lab
Post-grad plans: Architectural Designer at Merriman Pitt/Anderson
Brenna Fransen
Dubuque, IA
Architecture Professional Degree, Environmental Studies
Participation & Awards: Mentor Program Participant, Mentor Grant Recipient
Honors Project: Memorializing History at Westbrook Artists' Site
Moment of pride: Traveling abroad to South Korea and working on a project from the design phase through construction
Post-grad plans: Full-time job at SOM in Los Angelos as an architectural engineer
Keegan Holdorf
Grimes, IA
Architecture Professional Degree
Minor in Sustainability, Digital Media
Honors Project: WELL LEED ARCH: Practice Guide for Sustainability and Well-Being in Design (Healthcare Edition)
Moment of pride: Executive Representative with Interfraternity Council
Post-grad plans: Intern Architect, 10Fold Architecture + Engineering
Brandon Leeder
Janesville, WI
Architecture Professional Degree, Sociology (LAS)
Honors Project: Clinic Design
Moment of pride: Doing research on indigenous communities and design of a health clinic in West Africa
Post-grad plans: Project manager for architecture and engineering firm in Wisconsin
Devin Palmer
Overland Park, KS
Graphic Design
Minor in French, Critical Studies in Design
Honors Project: Interdisciplinary Experiential Design for Sporting Kansas City
Moment of pride: My time as president of the Graphic Design Student Association and serving on the Board of Directors for 88.5 KURE
Post-grad plans: Looking for graphic design opportunities in the Pacific Northwest
Sara Smiley
Granger, IA
Architecture Professional Degree
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader, UHP Recipient, Honors Ambassador
Honors Project: Carson: A Children's Book
Moment of pride: Being an RA, TA, and an HON 121 leader
Post-grad plans: Job or Internship
Aimee Wallner
La Junta, CO
Interior Design
Minor in Performing Arts
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader, Mentor Program Participant, Honors Peer Adviser
Honors Project: Diving into the Scene of Scenic Design
Moment of pride: Being the lead scenic designer for an Iowa State Theatre production in Spring 2021 – about which I completed my honors project!
Post-grad plans: Interior Designer at DLR Group in Portland, OR
College of Engineering
Heather Baier
Altoona, IA
Mechanical Engineering
Minor in General Business
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader, Mentor Program Participant
Honors Project: Aladdin Rewritten
Moment of pride: FHP Leader!
Post-grad plans: Development Engineer at Daikin Applied
Mitchell Bailey
Sioux Falls, SD
Aerospace Engineering
Participation & Awards: Mentor Program Participant
Honors Project: Identifying the Effects of an Encapsulating Mesh on a UAV
Moment of pride: My work as an undergraduate researcher
Post-grad plans: Utah State University for a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering
Olivia Bogle
Le Roy, IL
Mechanical Engineering
Minor in Spanish and Biomedical Engineering
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader, Mentor Program Participant, Mentor Grant Recipient, Honors Ambassador
Honors Project: Effect of COVID-19 Pandemic on the Quality of Engineering Degrees
Moment of pride: FHP Leader
Post-grad plans: Polaris-Engineering Development Program
Remy Braun
Olathe, Kansas
Mechanical Engineering
Minor in Biomedical Engineering
Honors Project: Interactive Virtual Reality Simulations of Human Cardiovascular System for Medical Education and Student Exploration
Moment of pride: Tau Beta Pi induction
Post-grad plans: Medical School
Ola Carnahan
Fairbanks, AK
Aerospace Engineering
Minor in Astronomy
Honors Project: The Carillon Renaissance: The Development of a New ISU Music Class Starting with the 20th Century
Moment of pride: My work as an Aerospace peer mentor helping freshmen
Post-grad plans: Systems Engineer at Collins Aerospace working on search and rescue helicopters
Yahan Chang
Mason City, IA
Mechanical Engineering
Honors Project: Climate Change Concerns Regarding Underrepresented Populations
Moment of pride: Being an author on a published paper
Post-grad plans: Job or Internship
Faith Cornish
Eden Prairie, MN
Mechanical Engineering, Mathematics
Minor in Spanish
Honors Project: Computational Modeling of the Cardiovascular System
Moment of pride: Getting a NASA internship through the Iowa Space Grant Consortium on campus
Post-grad plans: Ph.D. in aerospace systems at the University of Minnesota
Ava Depping
Madrid, IA
Mechanical Engineering
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader, Mentor Program Participant, Mentor, Stewart, Summer & UHP Grant Recipient
Honors Project: Design and Reliability of Embroidered Electrodes
Moment of pride: Being named Outstanding Senior in Mechanical Engineering by the Department of Mechanical Engineering
Post-grad plans: Working as a Mechanical Engineer for Frontline Bioenergy LLC in Nevada, Iowa. I will also be enrolling in the ISU Masters of Engineering Graduate Program for Mechanical Engineering
Bernie Fay
Rockwall, TX
Software Engineering, Data Science
Participation & Awards: Mentor Program Participant
Honors Project: Predictive Modeling for Pokemon Battles
Moment of pride: Becoming a member of Tau Beta Pi and threatening to veto Honors Student Board minutes every meeting
Post-grad plans: Data Engineer at Principal Financial Group
Jacob Fields
St. Louis, MO
Aerospace Engineering
Minor in Russian Studies
Participation & Awards: Mentor Program Participant
Honors Project: Space Trajectory Optimization using Trisserand Plots
Moment of pride: Being a part of Tau Beta Pi (engineering honors society)
Post-grad plans: Position with Pratt and Whitney in East Hartford, CT working on commerical aircraft engines
Luke Geis
Sioux Falls, SD
Chemical Engineering
Participation & Awards: Mentor Program Participant, Mentor Grant Recipient
Honors Project: Evaluating Student Financial Literacy at Iowa State University
Moment of pride: I’ve enjoyed my time being an RA on campus!
Post-grad plans: Position at Procter and Gamble
Landon Getting
Fort Dodge, IA
Industrial Engineering
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader, Mentor Program Participant
Honors Project: Robotic Grinding System for Castings
Moment of pride: Being selected as the Outstanding Senior in Industrial Engineering for Spring 2022
Post-grad plans: Internship as a Process Engineer at Tesla's new Gigafactory in Austin, TX, followed by a master's degree in industrial engineering at Iowa State
Yingying Huang
Fujian, China
Mechanical Engineering
Minor in Computer Science
Honors Project: Object-following Robot
Moment of pride: Being a two peer mentor in mechancial engineering and president of International Ambassador club
Post-grad plans: Continue learning and exploring the world
Tyler Ingebrand
Johnston, IA
Computer Engineering
Minor in Spanish and General Business
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader, Mentor Program Participant, Mentor Grant Recipient
Honors Project: Teaching a Robot How to Walk Using Machine Learning
Moment of pride: The research I did for my honor's project
Post-grad plans: Employment in Austin, TX
Joseph Kim
Wheaton, IL
Industrial Engineering
Minor in BME, Economics
Participation & Awards: Mentor Program Participant, Mentor Grant Recipient
Honors Project: Creation of a Sweating and Thermal Mannequin
Moment of pride: Being on the travel team for EWB
Post-grad plans: Pursuing an MS in Industrial Engineering at ISU
Gabe Kjeldgaard
Council Bluffs, IA
Mechanical Engineering
Minor in Entrepreneurship
Honors Project: Enzymatic Loading of LIG Biosensors for Pesticide Detection
Post-grad plans: Kingland Systems Project Manager
Reed Kohlmeyer
Oronoco, MN
Aerospace Engineering
Minor in Mathematics
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader, Mentor Program Participant
Honors Project: Power and Control Systems of a Nano-Scale Drone
Moment of pride: Founder and Project Manager of the Nano Drone M2I Team
Post-grad plans: Mechanical Engineer at Honeywell FM&T
Joyce Lai
Hiawatha, IA
Electrical Engineering
Minor in Biomedical Engineering
Participation & Awards: Mentor Program Participant, Mentor Grant Recipient
Honors Project: Development of A Portable MiRNA Analyzer
Moment of pride: Spring 2022 College of Engineering Student Marshal
Post-grad plans: Graduate School at the University of Michigan (PhD Program)
Isaac Linn
Correctionville, IA
Agricultural Engineering
Participation & Awards: Mentor Program Participant
Honors Project: Bicycle Pneumatic Clutch
Moment of pride: Being a member of the winning team for the NFPA Fluid Power Vehicle Challenge
Post-grad plans: Finding purpose
Hailey Lucas
Dunlap, IL
Computer Engineering
Minor in Leadership Studies
Participation & Awards: Mentor Program Participant
Honors Project: COVID Cough Detection on a Smart Watch
Moment of pride: Being inducted into Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honors Society and becoming a cabinet member
Post-grad plans: Position at Caterpillar
Katelyn Moje
Norfolk, NE
Mechanical Engineering
Minor in Leadership Studies and Sustainability
Participation & Awards: Mentor Program Participant
Honors Project: Student Organization Sustainability
Moment of pride: My five years of membership in the Society of Women Engineers, induction into the Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society, and planning the annual Engineering Leaders of Tomorrow Conference
Post-grad plans: Position working on the Pollution Prevention Program at Lost Alamos National Lab
Amber Ogden
Waverly, IA
Mechanical Engineering
Minor in Certificate in Occupational Safety
Participation & Awards: Mentor Program Participant
Honors Project: A Reflection on my Time in Honors
Moment of pride: Serving as President of Women in Mechanical Engineering
Post-grad plans: Manufacturing Engineer for Northrop Grumman in Baltimore
Ryan Pretzer
Ames, IA
Mechanical Engineering
Participation & Awards: Mentor Program Participant, Mentor Grant Recipient
Honors Project: Measuring the Density, Surface Tension, and Viscosity of Highly Supersaturated Electrolyte Solution Drop using Electrostatic Levitation
Moment of pride: Being listed as a co-author for my contribution to a research publication during my sophomore year
Post-grad plans: Mechanical Engineer with Burns and McDonnell in Denver, CO
Zack Rauth
Sioux City, IA
Mechanical Engineering
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader, Mentor Program Participant, Mentor Grant Recipient
Honors Project: Shared Discovery: The Novel Wood Wide Web
Moment of pride: Serving as an FHP leader and having an impact on the first-year students' experience
Post-grad plans: Project Engineer at Primoris Renewable Energy
David Seals
Indianapolis, IN
Aerospace Engineering
Participation & Awards: Mentor Program Participant
Honors Project: Space Trajectory Design for Multi-Engine Spacecraft
Moment of pride: The research I completed in orbital trajectory optimization
Post-grad plans: Working at Northrop Grumman as a software engineer in spacecraft simulation
Emma Stobbe
Shoreview, MN
Industrial Engineering
Minor in Language and Culture for Professions (Spanish)
Participation & Awards: Mentor Program Participant
Honors Project: Telehealth Application Design for Older Adults
Moment of pride: Being an HSB event chair and IMSE peer mentor
Post-grad plans: Employed as a project engineer at 3M
Tom Sun
Bettendorf, IA
Computer Engineering
Minor in Communication Studies
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader, Mentor Program Participant
Honors Project: Adaptive Administration System for First-Year Honors Program
Moment of pride: Serving as the Director of International Student Experience at Student Government this year
Post-grad plans: Employed as a software engineer at Kingland Systems
Alex Thayer
Blaine, MN
Materials Engineering
Minor in Leadership Studies
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader, Mentor Program Participant
Honors Project: Recyclables for Music - PET Recycling
Moment of pride: 2020 Iowa State University student employee of the year nominee for my work at the Ames Laboratory during the early stages of the pandemic
Post-grad plans: Materials & Processes Engineer at Blue Origin in Kent, Washington
Jeremy Tracz
Buffalo Grove, IL
Software Engineering
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader
Honors Project: VR Software Tool for DNA Origami
Moment of pride: Involvement with Grandma Mojo's improve comedy group
Post-grad plans: Software engineer at Arity in Chicago
Robert Walling
Iowa City, IA
Software Engineering, Music (Curriculum)
Participation & Awards: Mentor Program Participant
Honors Project: Music Tracker
Moment of pride: Induction into Phi Beta Kappa
Post-grad plans: Software engineer at Starkey Hearing Technologies
Ben Welte
Rockford, IL
Electrical Engineering
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader, Mentor Program Participant, Mentor Grant Recipient, Honors Ambassador
Honors Project: Christ in Middle Earth
Moment of pride: "Best Meatloaf In Town" Award from the 2018 FHP banquet
Post-grad plans: M.S. in Computer Engineering at ISU
Braden Westby
Vilonia, AR
Mechanical Engineering
Minor in Biomedical Engineering
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader, Mentor Program Participant, Mentor, Stewart, UHP Grant Recipient
Honors Project: Construction of Fire-Safe System for Bioelectric Control Methodology
Moment of pride: Helping manage a project with other undergraduate students working on it
Post-grad plans: PhD Program in Industrial Engineering at Iowa State
Axel Zumwalt
Marion, IA
Computer Engineering
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader, Mentor Program Participant, Honors Ambassador
Honors Project: Theremin
Moment of pride: Iowa State University Cyclone Football Varsity Marching Band Drumline Bass Drum Guide and a comedy college performance “so good,” they had to turn off all the power in the building
Post-grad plans: Software engineer with John Deere Intelligent Solutions Group
College of Human Sciences
Emily DeDoncker
Urbandale, IA
Apparel, Merchandising, and Design
Minor in Public Relations and Sustainability
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader, Mentor Program Participant
Honors Project: Engaging Gen Z: Outdoor Apparel Industry’s Continued Growth and Potential
Moment of pride: Serving as an Outreach Producer for The Fashion Show 2022
Post-grad plans: Allocation Analyst at the Kohl's Corporate Buying Office in Milwaukee, WI
Brandon Gallagher
Geneseo IL
Kinesiology & Health
Participation & Awards: UHP Recipient
Honors Project: Endocannabinoid Responses to Acute Resistance Exercise in Trained and Untrained Adults
Moment of pride: My research and having the opportunity to work with other Iowa State students in my research
Post-grad plans: Attend medical school
Kaelee Guth
Metamora, IL
Nursing (H SCI)
Honors Project: Development of Iowa State University Nurses Association (ISU-NA)
Moment of pride: Being a nurse
Post-grad plans: Pursuing a Master’s Degree in Nursing
Jace Leininger
Mason City, IA
Kinesiology & Health
Participation & Awards: UHP Recipient
Honors Project: Childhood Physical Activity Experiences and Affective Attitudes during Adulthood
Moment of pride: Being president of the Exercise is Medicine Club
Post-grad plans: University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine
Joey Marcuccilli
Wheaton, IL
Kinesiology & Health
Minor in Biology
Honors Project: : Investigating the role of Tpd3 in chromosome segregation
Moment of pride: Two year captain of the Iowa State hockey team
Post-grad plans: A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine
Lydia Schafer
Traer, IA
Apparel, Merchandising, and Design
Minor in Entrepreneurship
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader
Honors Project: The Hidden Costs of Mass-Produced Clothing
Moment of pride: I'm most proud of winning a scholarship and award at The Fashion Show my junior year
Post-grad plans: Working as a Salt Company resident in Ames, IA
Emma Theis
Johnston, IA
Kinesiology & Health
Minor in Psychology
Participation & Awards: Mentor Program Participant, Mentor Grant Recipient
Honors Project: Reproducibility and Effect of Sampling Depth on Laser Doppler Flowmetry Measures During the Reflex Cutaneous Vasoconstriction Response
Moment of pride: Presented research at a national conference in March 2021
Post-grad plans: Physician assistant school at DMU
Sierra Weldon
Waterloo, IA
Dietetics (H Sci)
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader, Mentor Program Participant
Honors Project: Examining Participant-Perceived Outcomes of Virtual Nutrition Education Classes in Iowa School Wellness Programming
Moment of pride: Being named University Student Marshal for the College of Human Sciences
Post-grad plans: Admitted to the Carver College of Medicine as a Master of Clinical Nutrition student at the University of Iowa
Camille Wirkus
Middleton, WI
Dietetics (H Sci)
Honors Project: Mixed Methods Evaluation of Weight Bias Among Senior Level Dietetic Students
Moment of pride: Being Triathlon Club President
Post-grad plans: Pursuing a Master's of Clinical Nutrition at UW-Madison
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
Jazlyn Beeck
Denison, IA
Geology, Environmental Science (LAS)
Minor in N/A
Participation & Awards: Mentor Program Participant
Honors Project: Loess Concretions in Iowa’s Loess Hills
Moment of pride: Being able to lead a research project
Post-grad plans: Taking a gap year before Graduate School
Cassie Bucklin
Bondurant, IA
World Languages & Cultures
Minor in Biology and United States Latino Studies
Honors Project: Microaggressions and Latino/a/x Experiences at a Predominantly White Institution
Moment of pride: Being an RA
Post-grad plans: Attending Graduate school after taking a break from school.
Allison Cadden
Eden Prairie, MN
Biology (LAS)
Honors Project: Effects of Virtual Yoga Outreach on Motor Symptoms on People with Parkinson’s Disease
Moment of pride: Honors project research on Parkinson’s Disease
Post-grad plans: Attending University of Wisconsin- La Crosse to get a Master’s in Physician Assistant Studies
Amelia Dixon
Earlham, IA
Music (Major)
Participation & Awards: Mentor Program Participant
Honors Project: The Effects of Music Training on Fluid Reasoning and Cognitive Inhibition in Older Adults with Parkinson's Disease
Moment of pride: Combining interests in science and music by working on a research project investigating the effects of music experience on cognition in people with Parkinson's Disease
Post-grad plans: Graduate school at Lynn University to pursue a Master's degree in Violin Performance
Haley Dostalik
Urbandale, IA
Genetics (LAS)
Minor in Bioinformatics & Computational Biology
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader, Student Enrichment Grant Recipient, Honors Ambassador
Honors Project: Functional Annotation of the Grape
Moment of pride: Being a Honors Ambassador
Post-grad plans: Attending Baylor College of Medicine to pursue a PhD in genetics & genomics
Nathan Erickson
Olathe, KS
Meteorology
Minor in Economics, Geographic Information Systems
Participation & Awards: Mentor Program Participant
Honors Project: Analyzing Coupled Impacts of Economic Behavior and Climate Changes on Future Welfare of Iowa
Moment of pride: Being president of the ISU chapter of the American Meteorological Society
Post-grad plans: Attending Iowa State to pursue a Master of Science and Meteorology
Emily Gehling
Dubuque, IA
History, Anthropology
Participation & Awards: Mentor Program Participant
Honors Project: Reconstructing Mayan Mobility: A Database of Strontium and Oxygen Values
Moment of pride: Participating in the Center for American Archaeology’s Field School in Kampsville, IL
Post-grad plans: Participating in an excavation in Teotihvacan, Mexico with Dr. Somerville this summer
Bryce Hall
Urbandale, IA
Computer Science
Participation & Awards: Mentor Program Participant
Honors Project: ReversAI - Developing Intelligent Agents to Play Reversi/Othello
Moment of pride:
Post-grad plans: Job as an IBM Firmware Developer
Bailey Kaas
Indianola, IA
Biology (LAS)
Minor in Biochemistry
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader, Mentor Program Participant
Honors Project: The Effect of Small Molecules on Splicing of the ODF1 Gene
Moment of pride: Being inducted into Cardinal Key Honor Society
Post-grad plans: Medical School
Alice Klimesh
Waucoma
Linguistics, International Studies
Minor in Middle Eastern Studies
Participation & Awards: Mentor Program Participant
Honors Project: 100 Strangers Project
Post-grad plans: Hoping to be an American Sign Language Interpreter
Anders Lie
Iowa City, IA
Computer Science, Mathematics
Minor in Data Science
Participation & Awards: Mentor Program Participant
Honors Project: Behavior of Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Personalities in the Context of the Prisoner’s Dilemma
Moment of pride: Being President of Algorithmic Trading Club
Post-grad plans: Software Engineer at Amazon Web Services
Ben Litterer
Manchester, IA
Data Science, World Languages & Cultures
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader, Mentor Program Participant, Honors UA, Student Enrichment Grant Recipient
Honors Project: Predicting Protein Function with Machine Learning
Moment of pride: Getting feedback that I helped my students succeed as a math tutor
Post-grad plans: University of Michigan, PhD in Information Science
Matthew Millard
Bondurant, IA
Performing Arts
Minor in English
Honors Project: Insight – A Screenplay About Modernizing Greek Myths
Moment of pride: Writing an original screenplay
Post-grad plans: Pursue acting and writing in Los Angeles
Sydney Murphy
Carson, IA
Criminal Justice
Minor in Russian Studies
Honors Project: Ecological Effects on Criminality: Analyzing and Comparing Military and Civilian Crime
Moment of pride: Being the Fall 2021 Cadet Wing Commander of the ISU Air Force ROTC program
Post-grad plans: Commissioning into the Air Force
Emily Neitzel
Crown Point, IN
English, Technical Communication
Minor in General Business/Spanish
Honors Project: The Rhetorical Effects of Opening Statements in Criminal Trials
Moment of pride: Being the community service chair for National Society of Leadership and Success
Post-grad plans: Attending law school this fall.
Jack Novak
Alexandria, VA
Economics (LAS), Statistics
Minor in Data Science and Spanish
Participation & Awards: Mentor Program Participant
Honors Project: Commodity-Specific Regulation in the Rail Industry
Moment of pride: Being a peer mentor and helping incoming economics students
Post-grad plans: Pursuing a PhD Econ at CU Boulder
Petra Owusu
Coon Rapids, MN
Public Relations
Minor in Event Management & General Business
Honors Project: The Role of Public Relations in Advancing the Women’s Rights Movement
Moment of pride: Being one of the Special Events Directors for Student Union Board and getting to meet my favorite celebrities, winning a Silver American Advertising Award and getting into every grad school I applied to.
Post-grad plans: Attending Grad school at the University of Southern California.
Nolan Pithan
Cedar Rapids, IA
Biology (LAS), Music (Curriculum)
Participation & Awards: Mentor Program Participant
Honors Project: Divine Universal Causation and Free Creaturely Action
Moment of pride: LAS Dean's High Impact Award for Undergraduate Research Award recipient Summer 2021, Summer 2022
Post-grad plans: Applying for Research assistant positions in the Iowa City area in biology>
Euan Price
Chillicothe, IL
Genetics (LAS)
Participation & Awards: Mentor Program Participant
Honors Project: Molecular Docking Study of Aptamers and Hemagglutinin
Moment of pride: Winning the curling intramurals
Post-grad plans: ORISE Internship at the National Animal Disease Center
Sophie Sorenson
Belmond, IA
Psychology, Mathematics
Minor in Computer Science, Biology
Participation & Awards: Mentor Program Participant
Honors Project: The Effects of Bilingualism on Face Processing and Conflict: An ERP Study
Moment of pride: Finishing in 3 years
Post-grad plans: Working at Epic Systems in Madison, WI
Lydia Stanley
Des Moines, IA
Genetics (LAS)
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader, Mentor Program Participant, Mentor Grant Recipient, Honors Ambassador
Honors Project: Brief Look at the Interactions of Genetics and the Public
Moment of pride: Teaching HON 121 and particpating in the Star Trek Honors Seminar
Post-grad plans: Work then apply to evolutionary genomics graduate programs
Miranda Tze
St. Louis, MO
Economics (LAS)
Minor in African American Studies
Participation & Awards: Mentor Program Participant
Honors Project: Association Variables with Undergraduate Racial Attitudes
Moment of pride: Being a member of Phi Beta Kappa
Post-grad plans: City Year, Americorps in Chicago
David Uselman
Madison, WI
Mathematics, Philosophy
Participation & Awards: Mentor Program Participant
Honors Project: Combining Theories of Action and Moral Philosophy
Moment of pride: Being in the ISUCF'V'MB all four years
Post-grad plans: Job with Epic Systems
Allissa Van Steenis
Ankeny, IA
Biochemistry
Minor in Microbiology, Psychology
Participation & Awards: Mentor Program Participant, Summer, Stewart & UHP Grant Recipient
Honors Project: Dance Dance Romance
Moment of pride: The completion of my honors project and being a four year member of cyclone football varsity marching band playing the sousaphone
Post-grad plans: Job as a Lab Manager for a research lab at University of Oregon
